Biography

(for the press)

photo by Scott Haydon

With her roots in Texas & Georgia and her home in Washington's Emerald City of Seattle, Emily Ann Peterson spent 17 years with her cello, much of that time collaboratively writing songs with her musical counterparts and singing along when asked.

However, Christmas 2013 she was diagnosed with an essential tremor in her right hand, officially winding up a degenerative biological clock. Refusing to simply resign to fate and genetics, she expanded her skills to include the piano. This act of neurological defiance broke through her creative glass ceiling; She began solo songwriting.

Peterson's lyrics dance through melodies founded upon her upbringing with classical cello. However, the songs also reveal a stealthy adoration of pop and Motown.

Emily Ann Peterson inspires the growth of global resonance by building magnanimous community through the marriage of music and whole-person development. Emily's music reveals ardent authenticity through a tailored and disciplined approach to performing and teaching internationally.

She was awarded a 6-week Artist Residency to write and record new music at the Grünewald Guild in March-April 2014.

As a trained Suzuki Teacher, Emily has a private teaching studio with students ranging in age from 4 to 74 years old. She teaches each of her students holistically, not just teaching their fingers. Her students are often with her for years, which allows her the honor of witnessing first-hand the life-force that comes from the copious benefits of music and the cello in her students' lives.

Sometimes she partners with yoga & dance studios and their teachers to create musical couture for their class' practice for that day. These on-to-spot compositions are created using a looping pedal, her cello and her knowledge of the human body and music. The combination of these allow Emily to craft sounds and vibrations that encourage movement and growth appropriate for that day's yogic practice.

Emily currently holds or has held membership in the Northwest Symphony Orchestra, Seattle Rock Orchestra, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (The Grammys), Fremont Abbey Arts Center, Suzuki Association of the Americas, and New Directions Cello Association. She is an alumnus of the Colorado Suzuki Institute & Texas Cello Academy, and is a founding faculty member of the Coda School of Music.